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Shards of Honour (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication order) #1)

by Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 7,347 ratings · 372 reviews

The start of the Vorkosigan Saga. It was the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons, with a secret agenda. Captain Cordelia Naismith of the Betan Expeditionary Force is captured by her enemy, Lord Vorkosigan of Barrayar.

Paperback, 272 pages

Published December 1st 2003 by Earthlight (first published 1986)

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Apr 29, 2010 Ceridwen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: grown-ups

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Eh!, Miriam, Elizabeth & maybe some other folk

Shelves: sci-fi, the-future-is-now, space-the-final-frontier, grrrrl-power, l-etoile-du-nord

I started and chucked several reviews to this book that either went on wild tangents – the kind I could never hope to come back from – or rolling into sounding a ton more negatively about this book than I actually feel. I think I've finally figured out what my problem is, and in order to get this across, I will now go on a tangent, one I hope I can come back from.

I had a really great evening last night. One of my oldest friends invited over a collection of her female friends. Most of these wome...more I started and chucked several reviews to this book that either went on wild tangents – the kind I could never hope to come back from – or rolling into sounding a ton more negatively about this book than I actually feel. I think I've finally figured out what my problem is, and in order to get this across, I will now go on a tangent, one I hope I can come back from.

I had a really great evening last night. One of my oldest friends invited over a collection of her female friends. Most of these women I had never met before, except for one, who apparently went to the same high school as I, but I only vaguely remember her. We all told stories, drank wine, and ate some of the most excellent cookies of my acquaintance. It wasn't earth-shattering; we didn't solve the world's problems or say anything particularly meaningful – although I did get to have a freak-out about another girl from my high school who right now, as I type, is correcting people to pronounce my name wrong – it's ker-ID-wen, you bitch, not CARE-id-wen, and quit telling people different – and I always like to complain about her. But the really enjoyable part of the evening, for me, was driving home and realizing that 15 years ago, such an event – going to someone's house to gab with women I didn't know – would have left me in shuddering terror. I've outgrown my adolescent social terror. This is not to say I won't continue to be socially awkward, because I am and I will, or that I won't also contemplate on my drive home all the stupid things I said, and rue them, because I did and shall.

This book is like this experience in two ways. First, it's better experienced than re-told, like most good times. I focused more on the food than the conversation in my little anecdote, because it's easier to talk about the concrete than it is on the more ephemeral qualities of good conversation and good people – how can I get across to you that a little mini-conversation about the problems of bread-making slipped into a little moment of reverie about Grandma Dory and her Swedish Limpa recipe, which, only for a second, transported me to the smell of her basement and the baskets of onions and potatoes on the shelf? But then the conversation moves, and I hear an anecdote about bakeries in LA, which is shared with other memories of the city for other women in the circle. There's a lot of incidental in Shards of Honour - an alien planet with weird floating vampire jellyfish, the shape and texture of space ships, the politics of two worlds and two lives that are told anecdotally between two people.

A lot happens in Shards of Honour, from running about on an alien planet, to mutinies on space ships, gun battles, politics, torture, crazy people, sane people. Just...stuff. Cool stuff. Space opera stuff. But the real thing I enjoyed, the thing I dug, was the relationship between Cordelia and Vorkosigan. I don't feel like I can bear down on this too hard, whatever that means, because their growing understanding is something interstitial, unspoken, something that unfolds quietly at the edges of action. They're grown-ups – which is how I think my bs anecdote relates in another way – they have gotten over the flailing self-involved panic of youth, but that doesn't mean that they get everything right or stop worrying about all the stuff they don't get right.

There's some off-notes to this book – it skips around too much, and maybe it has too many endings – although the last ending, the one that is an unrelated vignette of a salvage ship recovering the bodies vented into space during one of the space battles has a melancholy empathy I really grokked. But it was enjoyable, something I look forward to reading again, the kind of story that lends itself to re-reading not because it blows your mind, but because it is familiar in a way that belies all of the space opera and scifi accoutrement. Two people tell each other stories, and in that telling, they find understanding, and understanding is the house of love.

(less)

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Mar 28, 2013 mark monday rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: futuristik, romantika, x-vorkosigan-saga

Cordelia Naismith is the captain of an astronomical survey ship from the peaceful Beta Colony. Lord Aral Vorkosigan is the leader of a secret military mission from the warlike planet Barrayar. the title "Shards of Honor" no doubt refers to the small bits of honor that Aral must cling to as he finds himself a central figure in a massive undertaking that will sacrifice thousands of innocents for the greater good; it also may refer to the honor that Cordelia herself gains and loses and gains again...more Cordelia Naismith is the captain of an astronomical survey ship from the peaceful Beta Colony. Lord Aral Vorkosigan is the leader of a secret military mission from the warlike planet Barrayar. the title "Shards of Honor" no doubt refers to the small bits of honor that Aral must cling to as he finds himself a central figure in a massive undertaking that will sacrifice thousands of innocents for the greater good; it also may refer to the honor that Cordelia herself gains and loses and gains again as her fate becomes increasingly intertwined with that of the unjustly infamous Aral - also known as "The Butcher of Komarr". this excellent novel is the first in the massive Vorkosigan Saga, which currently numbers over 25 novels and short stories. it is also Bujold's first full-length work - an impressive achievement.

the novel is a chamber piece with a galactic background. space opera boiled down to two major characters and several intriguing supporting characters, with acts of policy and war that become palpable moral and ethical conflicts for those characters. it is space opera made intimate and personal; space opera where the psychology of its characters is writ as large and made as important as the various exciting twists and turns of the narrative. it is also a romance - one that is by turns surprising and moving and life-affirming. there are no ridiculously giddy or angsty moments that made me roll my eyes. Cordelia and Aral are decidedly adults, with a whole lifetime of pain and experience behind them. watching them matter-of-factly fall in love was key to my enjoyment.

it is a novel with some teeth as well. its issues are timely and timeless... is a terrible sacrifice worth all of those lives to stop the deaths of even more lives? should nationalism be a thing that we live and die for, a thing that defines our lives' trajectories? and what is "honor" anyway - a personal thing? a public thing? the thing that we cling to that gives our lives some kind of meaning, some sense of purpose? all are interesting questions to contemplate.

the prose is smart, clean, unfussy. our heroes veer towards the nonchalant rather than towards the melodramatic - they are life-sized, not larger-than-life - and so the prose is a perfect match for the characterization. the whole novel is excellent and thoroughly entertaining, but my favorite part may be the opening third - which is basically a two-person trek across an unknown planet. the reader gets to enjoy interesting bits of xenobiology (not delivered via massive world-building infodumps) while Cordelia and Aral's intriguing and entirely sympathetic personalities slowly unfold, to the reader and to each other. it was lovely. "lovely" may be an odd word to use for a novel that encompasses war, assassination, depraved villains, forced drug use, attempted rape, the children of rape, a mental breakdown, and the abandonment of one's home... but Shards of Honor is indeed a lovely thing - a quietly moving experience.(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

okay, so let me just say that i was totally dreading this book.

i promised some of the ladies in my online life that i would "read more fantasy" and this was suggested, even though this is more sci-fi/space opera to my untrained eyes, yeah?? i mean - where are my unicorns!? just one token unicorn will do!

this cover's got spaceships on it, and laser beams and futuristic clothing, and that is just not appealing to me, as a reader. i look at books like this, and i feel like the author probably will...more okay, so let me just say that i was totally dreading this book.

i promised some of the ladies in my online life that i would "read more fantasy" and this was suggested, even though this is more sci-fi/space opera to my untrained eyes, yeah?? i mean - where are my unicorns!? just one token unicorn will do!

this cover's got spaceships on it, and laser beams and futuristic clothing, and that is just not appealing to me, as a reader. i look at books like this, and i feel like the author probably will discuss speculative science with wormholes and alien warfare and gravity and i will be forced to skim until it gets back to interesting stuff, so i would typically give it a pass in favor of something that has at least one foot in a realistic atmosphere.

but a girl makes promises.

and then to my delight, this started off really strong. scientists exploring the flora and fauna of an alien planet.... hazards!! vampire jellyfish what fly!! essplosions in the distance!! good stuff!i loved the two main characters, and there was some equally strong supporting cast rounding it all off. so far, so good.

this is also a love story, but a love story without urgency. this is not "oh i must have you dooooo me in the vestibule" love, it is more sensible and measured a love story than that. and it is a slow build. so that was a second thing i liked about this book; strong characters who make sense as partners, not just falling in love because they happen to be near each other and so love naturally must follow.

but then, the whole middle was kind of a wash for me. intergalactic battles and alliances and betrayals and umm stars. i really wish i could get into those things. i feel like i would be a better-rounded person for it. but my eyes tend to glaze with outer space battle fatigue. sorry, ladies.

it did pick up again at the close - i enjoyed watching these characters, with their pasts and their flaws, make decisions that seemed grounded in realistic thought-processes, in a world where cause and effect were operating correctly. it never gets wacky.

but then there was a final-final chapter. is this setting up the next book?? is it something she just felt like writing even though it wasn't really connected to anything?? dunno. i am supposed to read the next book in the cycle, so ima get on that and maybe my questions will be answered.

so it is a three, but a three that leaves room to grow!! i could still come around!!(less)

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Apr 03, 2010 new_user rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to new_user by: Sandra aka Sleo

Shelves: military, romantic-scifi

I really enjoyed Shards of Honor. Though Lois McMaster Bujold's writing is a little more sparing with emotion than I generally enjoy, she's concise while eloquent and provides evidence for her claims. When she wants to convey that Lord Vorkosigan is honorable, she lets him demonstrate in deed or gesture, as I'm sure Vorkosigan would prefer. ;)

This first entry in the Vorkosigan Saga is unique among novels because both the plot and characters are strong. Shards begins as kind of a survivor romance...more I really enjoyed Shards of Honor. Though Lois McMaster Bujold's writing is a little more sparing with emotion than I generally enjoy, she's concise while eloquent and provides evidence for her claims. When she wants to convey that Lord Vorkosigan is honorable, she lets him demonstrate in deed or gesture, as I'm sure Vorkosigan would prefer. ;)

This first entry in the Vorkosigan Saga is unique among novels because both the plot and characters are strong. Shards begins as kind of a survivor romance. Members of enemy states, Aral and Cordelia encounter each other after both have been stranded on expedition. Initially, neither trusts the other, but they need each other to make it back to civilization.

Despite the occasional romance-genre inner dialogue from Cordelia that squirms, "Oh, dear me, why do I feel this way, oh, no, I mustn't," I appreciated Bujold's treatment of the hero and heroine's disparate cultures, their initial prejudices and their growing knowledge. Granted, it was easier done than in reality -unfortunately- but there was no sermonizing and both characters were very logical, practical, intelligent sorts, so it wasn't hard to digest.

I loved the characters. They're both admirable, understated people who were more about actions, where necessary, than big declarations. They were realistic. They never plan on heroism. They know that the reality of violence is neither so grand nor so certain, but they do what they must, even when it's difficult. The military is not glorified here, and in fact, I liked the ultimately realist view of it. I also enjoyed the treatment of politics, particularly when the romancing was done and the narrative moved onto the nitty gritty, the unsentimental reality of rule, the betrayal and pain. I think I'm a little in love with Aral, LOL. (Lest I make this seem too grim, the authentic gestures that Aral and Cordelia use to communicate or think of their love for each other were moving.) This is when the action starts.

Regarding the tech and science, I found them to be very unobtrusive. The reader isn't bombarded with acronyms, new technology and so on. Everything is very familiar, and everything that isn't is intuitive. Readers new to the genre can easily read this, and may I say for the record she's much better at space opera than heroic fantasy.

I recommend this to anyone interested in reading about epic politics, including the military, and a moving relationship that transcends cultures and age (the hero's 44 years old, and damn impressive, LOL) with complex characters and situations.(less)

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Mar 18, 2011 Joel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Joel by: Elizabeth

Shelves: 2011, 52-in-2011, sci-fi-fantasy, vorkosigan

What happened? What are these sensible, mature adults doing in the middle of my space opera? Where are the hot-headed, brash heroes? Where is the sass-mouthed young princess? WHERE ARE THE ROBOTS AND ALIENS?

This is not your father's science-fiction novel. But it might be your mother's. I don't mean that in a sexist or dismissive way, but reading this book felt more like reading a romance than it did a sci-fi book. I don't mean a bodice-ripping (space bodice!) romance, but a realistic, measured a...more What happened? What are these sensible, mature adults doing in the middle of my space opera? Where are the hot-headed, brash heroes? Where is the sass-mouthed young princess? WHERE ARE THE ROBOTS AND ALIENS?

This is not your father's science-fiction novel. But it might be your mother's. I don't mean that in a sexist or dismissive way, but reading this book felt more like reading a romance than it did a sci-fi book. I don't mean a bodice-ripping (space bodice!) romance, but a realistic, measured and mature romance. There are no sex scenes here, just a character study of two people, each slowly being drawn into the other's orbit (obligatory space metaphor!) despite social (planetary) differences. Despite galactic war! Separated by wormholes, their love bound them together!

In the courtship of Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan, this book reminds me of Regency Romances (in her review, Elizabeth calls then them the space-faring equivalent of Anne Elliot and Wentworth, which sounds about right). These are adults who have lived through the disappointment of past relationships and the frenzies of first love. They've known pain and heartbreak, and they don't fall into each other's arms (and beds) immediately, nor do they obsess over or glorify one another (I waited the whole book and I never found out if Aral had a rippling chest or not. Probably he doesn't sparkle though). Even in her first novel (of many, many to come, including about a dozen in this series), Lois McMaster Bujold is an assured and witty writer, content to take her time with character, something that a lot of sci-fi writers see little use for.

Which brings me to the part of the book that didn't work quite as well for me -- the sci-fi parts. A lot happens in this slim tome, too much perhaps -- grand political intrigues, complex plots and betrayals, a war than spans worlds -- and we see just snatches of the action and intrigue, because the book isn't really about any of that. Or if it is, only tangentially, in the ways these grand events impact Cordelia and Aral (I feel like they need one of those 'shipper mash-up names... Cordaral?). I wanted the plots and the coups to be a little more fleshed out; I wanted more of the backstory that is only hinted at, particularly some eyebrow-raising hints about Aral's past relationship with a chief villain.

So I am giving this one three stars, even though I enjoyed it immensely. For one thing, its direct sequel, Barrayar (which has actually been bound together with Shards in my edition) is by all accounts a much stronger book (it won the Hugo award, one of several major awards Bujold has won for this series), and I wanted to leave myself some breathing room. My space heart is engaged! I want to see where these characters are going. Also I already picked up about five more of the books at a thrift shop.(less)

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Jun 02, 2009 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-in-my-40s, science-fiction, space-opera

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this as part of the omnibus edition entitled Cordelia's Honor.

Cordelia Naismith is the "Juliet" to Aral Vorkosigan's "Romeo." Star-crossed (galactically speaking) lovers separated by time, space and politics but thankfully without the suicidal tragic ending.

Cordelia spends six days as Aral's prisoner on a planet her team was surveying for her home colony Beta. During that time, the inevitable occurs and they fall in love. Circumstances prevent consummation, so unrequited love prevails a...more I read this as part of the omnibus edition entitled Cordelia's Honor.

Cordelia Naismith is the "Juliet" to Aral Vorkosigan's "Romeo." Star-crossed (galactically speaking) lovers separated by time, space and politics but thankfully without the suicidal tragic ending.

Cordelia spends six days as Aral's prisoner on a planet her team was surveying for her home colony Beta. During that time, the inevitable occurs and they fall in love. Circumstances prevent consummation, so unrequited love prevails as they part the first time.

Her second encounter with Aral results in the more traditional prisoner of war scenario, although he did manage to rescue her from torture and rape by a deranged officer. She spends weeks as a prisoner, ironically back on the planet she was originally surveying, having little or no contact with Aral until the prisoner exchange negotiations complete. A second proposal of marriage, their first kiss, but the stars are just not aligned.

Cordelia returns home, more exhausted from avoiding psychotherapy from her escort, only to be further "tortured" by her own employer, the military. Since she is not a civilian, she can't refuse treatment. Cordelia's vision of democratic bliss crashes in on her and she escapes back to Barrayar and the political cesspool of their Empire ... and Aral.

Cordelia finds Aral at the Vorkosigan estate, committing slow suicide by alcoholism. She saves his life by accepting his marriage proposal. All is bliss until the Emperor plays his final card on his deathbed, asking (actually commanding) Aral to be the Regent for his heir.

I liked the story of these two characters. The action, adventure, intrigue and romance were all well done, just not always convincing.

The science part of the science fiction was very much in the background - weapons, defense technology, pilot-navigation computer interfaces, etc. - all essentially unexplained but assumed to be plausible.

I'll be reading the Hugo winning Barrayar, the second half of the omnibus edition Cordelia's Honor, starting today. (less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: space-opera, series-opener, reviewed, fiction

I listened to the Blackstone Audio app. The narration is decent, but not outstanding. A pleasant male voice, baritone. Given the 3rd-person POV was mainly the heroine's, a female voice would have served better, IMO.

3.5 stars for this space opera / romance, written under the guise of sci-fi, even though there is very little scientific innovation beyond the odd species in the opening chapters -- big bloodsucking balloon-like creatures, and some novel carnivores and herbivores.

At its core, this i...more

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Nov 06, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: redheads

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Portlander with copper curls

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy-sci-fi

Re-reading certain books is like eating a palate cleanser between courses. Shards of Honor is a boysenberry sorbet: slightly sweet, tart enough, and red-tinged. It isn't bloody, like a blood orange, nor is it pale, like strawberries and cream. There's blood in it, but enough to make a point about war, not enough to saturate.

I love this book. I found it on my inaugural trip to Powells in Portland. I had been in the science fiction room for about an hour and I was finally reaching the end of the B...more Re-reading certain books is like eating a palate cleanser between courses. Shards of Honor is a boysenberry sorbet: slightly sweet, tart enough, and red-tinged. It isn't bloody, like a blood orange, nor is it pale, like strawberries and cream. There's blood in it, but enough to make a point about war, not enough to saturate.

I love this book. I found it on my inaugural trip to Powells in Portland. I had been in the science fiction room for about an hour and I was finally reaching the end of the B's, when I picked it up. I was immediately pounced on by a young woman who insisted that I take it home. It's difficult to make an assessment of another person's taste in books just by looking at them. Am I taking advice from someone who has a strict diet of Ayn Rand and Stephen King with the occasional romance-infused fantasy for dessert? Is she into lesbian porn and used macro economic text books? Does she think The Name of the Rose the most complex book ever written? Does she like The Da Vinci Code? I do not want recommendations from the literary equivalent of a McDonald's aficionado.

She seemed earnest in her praise, and I didn't see any of the Left Behind series tucked under her arm, so I bought it; and devoured it. I wish to publicly acknowledge that I should never have doubted her. Anyone that recommends this book obviously has excellent taste in her science fiction adventures.

I'm afraid I no longer think as highly of this book as I did on the first rush through it. It has a heavy-handed and totally unnecessary final chapter which is unrelated to rest of the story. It also has some passages that I would struggle to read aloud without laughing. The story is so good and the characters so well developed that I don't care though. I love this book. Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan are the Anne Eliot and Fredrick Wentworth of science fiction. They are adults, with adult problems and responsibilities. They are not blind to their emotions or what they want but they also respect authority, mostly. I love their relationship and the way they relate to each other. It isn't a love story (it isn't just a love story). These are two people on opposite sides of an intergalactic war and they are stranded on an uninhabited planet with an incapacitated crew member and a mutiny in progress - discuss.

In short, it has all of the characteristics of a great read. Something light enough to slip through quickly when you need a short break between chapters of Middlemarch (I think I can, I think I can) but it is not without value; it's not like eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's for dinner.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: read Le Guin's "Four Ways to Forgiveness" instead

Shelves: 2012, sci-fi, series-dropped-lost-steam, romancelandia

Maybe one is spoiled for sci-fi forever after reading Ursula K. Le Guin? Maybe Le Guin is as good as it gets? Because Lois McMaster Bujold is supposed to be one of the best sci-fi writers, Hugo-awarded, etc., and yet, I don't see anything of note in this sample of her work.

Shards of Honour is painfully reminiscent of Maria V. Snyder's later books (anything written after Poison Study really). In a way that this novel has a promising plot, but is suffocated by the superficiality and blandness of...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As usual, Lois McMaster Bujold has created a phenomenal work! I had started with Warrior's Apprentice, and was unsure I would want to go back and read about Miles' parents. I'm so glad I did. Their relationship is beautifully written, and the last chapter of the novel is simply genius! What a great book!

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Jan 02, 2009 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romance, science-fiction

First book in the Vorkosigan series. Cordelia Naismith, high-tech surveyer, meets and becomes romantically and politically entangled with a controversial military officer from the backward planet of Barrayar.

Hmm. First time through I found this book divertingly readable but ultimately clumsy. Second verse, same as the first. The romance interested me more this time, I think because I was in a better frame of mind to accept the way it happens in that sudden, regency romance way. I still winced wh...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Chance Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, science-fiction

I'm glad I didn't know this was a sci/fi space opera romance novel, for those are stories I'd normally avoid. The beginning hook worked quite well -- a team of survey scientists from a peaceful/liberal world are exploring native lifeforms on a new planet when they are attacked by foes from a military/dictator society. During a brief Survivor-like episode, the two main characters fall in love in a slow, back-burner simmering way with a thankful lack of bodice ripping and pec flexing. Flying vampi...more

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Nov 29, 2012 David Sven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I would probably call this Space Opera lite. I mean it is set in the far future where humans have colonised planets, have wormhole technology, and wage war with each other in space battleships. So there’s space battles, plenty of political intrigue, as well as encounters on strange planets with strange animals, like aerial jellyfish that will suck your face off as it feeds on your blood. But ultimately, all that is mere background and props for what is essentially a love story between two people...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: speculative-fiction

I have to review this using my iPod, since my computer can't currently post reviews from my browsers, so pardon me if this is a little brief. I'll come back and add more, perhaps, when/if the bug is fixed.

I've been meaning to read Bujold's books for a while. Everyone has sung her praises, it seems -- though there hasn't been a reliable consensus on which book to start with, Cordelia or Miles, so I finally plumped for doing things chronologically. I'm told the later books are higher quality, but...more

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Jan 27, 2008 K rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: me!

Recommended to K by: Adult Pop Lit class

Shelves: fantasyscifi

As good and engrossing as a good and engrossing Battlestar Galactica episode, for what that's worth. In Bujold's Vorkosigan saga I've found a series that I can turn to whenever I can't decide what to read next. Easy enough for even a tired brain to read, but well-written enough that the brain doesn't get pissed off at the stupidity. Interesting and exciting enough that a single book goes by quickly, but not so incredible that you feel compelled to immediately get the next ones and ruin personal...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, female-lead

Be warned: the jacket blurb describes only a minor portion of the story.

My version, you ask?

Love in the background of space opera! Female captain leads research team investigating exotic planet. Expedition is attacked and a researcher is killed. Hostile man takes woman prisoner, and they fall in love while death-marching across alien planet. Alas! Woman and man are soon to be adversaries in an interstellar war, and are torn apart by loyalties to their commands. Then woman volunteers to captain a...more Be warned: the jacket blurb describes only a minor portion of the story.

My version, you ask?

Love in the background of space opera! Female captain leads research team investigating exotic planet. Expedition is attacked and a researcher is killed. Hostile man takes woman prisoner, and they fall in love while death-marching across alien planet. Alas! Woman and man are soon to be adversaries in an interstellar war, and are torn apart by loyalties to their commands. Then woman volunteers to captain a near-suicide mission and is taken captive again, but this time by Marquis de Sade Junior. Will she escape? Will she reunite with her love? Will they overcome obscure political maneuvers and overzealous patriots to ultimately consummate their love?

Complete cheese, right? But it's American-style cheese that does so well melted and grilled into a comfort-food delight. Shards is not particularly subtle or unusual, but it manages to be an engaging read. While I can't say that I found the same sophistication and characterization that I read in The Curse of Chalion, it still had melty goodness. For instance, there were vampire balloons and giant crabs. Dialogue was engaging, and I find her writing style is a nice balance between world-building and action, and pleasantly sophisticated in wording and ideas. Her characters have nice flashes of humor in the midst of struggle.

Plot wasn't particularly remarkable, but managed an unexpected twist or two. The first part of the book, the march across the alien world, was enjoyable, but I found the plot seriously disintegrating towards the end, especially when (view spoiler) As an ship captain, Cordelia displays a surprising amount of both political knowledge and naivete, and she wasn't perhaps as fleshed out as Lord Vorkosigan, despite the story being told from her perspective. There's an interesting supporting role was given to a seriously mentally damaged soldier. I've been hearing that the Vorkosigan series is some of Bujold's best writing, and it turns out that this is a prequel centered on the meeting and connection of his parents. As such, it might be a little more oriented towards fans than new readers. For seriously good writing and world-building, I'd recommend her Curse/Paladin books.

Fun line: "Koudelka puzzled over this attempted readjustment of his point of view, then let it bounce harmlessly off his impermeable habits of thought."(less)

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Apr 28, 2013 NibbledToDeathByCats rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, reviewed

I read Shards of Honor and Barrayar as part of the omnibus, Cordelia's Honor, but decided to review the two books separately because they left me with two very different impressions. (If only Goodreads had a more sensible object model that allowed one to review works rather than just volumes, I would not be forced to commit this sin against the accuracy of my book list!)

Shards of Honor was, in short, disappointing. It started off quite strong, with the caveat that it was softer sci-fi than I had...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Anders rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of space opera, humorous sff

Recommended to Anders by: sffworld.com

Shelves: space-opera

Shards of Honor is the first book in the large Vorkosigan Saga, a space opera series that includes political intrigue, military campaigns, and a fair dose of humor, in a future where humanity have made several far space colonies.

The story is set before the birth of the main protagonist of the series, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, and it follows his parents, through the eyes of his mother, Cordelia Naismith. It is a time of war between worlds, and Cordelia who is a captain of an Astronomical Survey...more Shards of Honor is the first book in the large Vorkosigan Saga, a space opera series that includes political intrigue, military campaigns, and a fair dose of humor, in a future where humanity have made several far space colonies.

The story is set before the birth of the main protagonist of the series, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, and it follows his parents, through the eyes of his mother, Cordelia Naismith. It is a time of war between worlds, and Cordelia who is a captain of an Astronomical Survey ship from Beta Colony, ends up stuck on a newly discovered planet while her shipmates have had to escape from the Barrayaran warship General Vorkraft. In addition she is captured by Captain Lord Aral Vorkosigan of Barrayar, notorious as the "Butcher of Komarr". This sets up an unlikely romance, and the rest of the book and series.

Since the book is character driven and only seen from the eyes and mind of Cordelia, it is limited to what she experiences. While there is a massive war going on, we only hear about it when it concerns her directly. This way the story stays close at all times, but you lose some of the epic feel of other books in the same genre.

Cordelia at first faces all challenges head on, and even when facing rape or committing murder, she thinks about it logically and with perhaps unrealistic ease, even showing off as a highly skilled assassin at times. Later in the book a shift happens, as she is suddenly highly emotional and volatile, before she more or less returns to her old calmer self towards the end. This does raise some questions as to how plausible the story is, since you might experience that you have trouble believing in the character and the plot at times.

Nevertheless, despite a few things to nitpick at, Bujold does a terrific job in making the book an enjoyable read, and writes lines like:

“I've always thought tests are a gift. And great tests are a great gift. To fail the test is a misfortune. But to refuse the test is to refuse the gift, and something worse, more irrevocable, than misfortune.”

and

"She took the story in like some strange, spiked gift, too fragile to drop, too painful to hold. He lay back again, and she took another turn around the glade, listening at the wood's edge to a silence so profound the roaring of the blood in her ears seemed to drown it out"

The most accurate rating I could give would be 3,5 stars, but my respect for Lois McMaster Bujold is ever growing, and seeing as this lays the groundwork for the multi award winning and much loved Vorkosigan Saga, I landed on 4 stars here at GoodReads. (less)

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Jun 05, 2008 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this in line for a ticket to Dragon*con last year. Thus began the Autumn When Miles Vorkosigan Ate My Brain.

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Nov 29, 2012 Lymsleia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

For the last half hour I've asked myself how to say what I want about the book without spoiling too much, and I'm still not sure I've found a good answer. Well, that's what spoiler tags are for, right? Anyway, here we go.

There are basically three parts to this story: In the first, our scientist captain heroine from one planet and her military hero counterpart from another not-quite-at-war-with-them planet are kind of stranded on this uninhabited planet and must survive the trek through the wilde...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-challenge-2011, audio, read-2011, sci-fi-rom, science-fiction, sfr-reading-challenge-2011, soa-listening-challenge-2011, romantic-elements

4.5*
Speaking of Audiobooks Listening Challenge 2011- (Listen to a book some else chooses for you.)
2011 TBR Challenge
2011 Sci-Fi Romance Reading Challenge
Sci-Fi Romance Group- April Book of the Month

That's a lot of "reading challenge" birds to kill with this one book, and what a marvelous book it is. Bujold is a gifted writer and her skill at writing dialog is top-notch. If only more authors could write dialog that is natural-sounding, as well as witty and informative. In Bujold's books, the dial...more

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Jul 31, 2009 Charlie George rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, space-opera

Far less well written than Bujold is capable of. Don't get me wrong, there were some fine character moments, especially early on, while Cordelia and Aral were first getting to know one another. But much of the latter half of the story felt meandering, as though she was trying to meet a contractual obligation or didn't know how to connect to later story elements.

I hate to say these things about such a fine author as Bujold, whose fantasy is truly outstanding for the genre. This book, on the othe...more

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Dec 03, 2008 Michael Ames rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Michael by: Libby Ames

Shelves: scifi

First of all, for a book with a big spaceship on the outside, it was disappointingly bereft of spaceships on the inside. Talk about a bait-and-switch! Where were the laser battles? The pointy-eared aliens? The unfathomable time paradoxes?

I read this before my wife did, and had a great time reading out-of-context quotes aloud to her, emphasizing the romantic nature of the book even further. Here's a gem, in reference to the protagonists' failing effort to hide their relationship from shipmates: "...more

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Jun 10, 2008 Pamela Lloyd rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shards of Honor is Bujold's first published novel and the first in a long series of novels, if I can claim that it, along with Barrayar, are part of her Miles Vorkosigan series. (The main characters in these two novels are Miles' parents.) Generally, they fall into the category of space opera, but frankly, they transcend the genre.

I am rereading this book for the umpty-umph time. There are very few books, except those by Bujold, that I reread more than once or twice; many, of course, I never pi...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

8/2012 I got to the end of the series and had to start at the beginning again. Coming at this from the other end, oh how wonderful it is. "Of course," one thinks, over and over, "how very like Cordelia (or Bothari, or Aral...) to respond thus." And one has a deeper appreciation for the world-building that Bujold begins here. I love these people, I do.

6/2012 I enjoyed this straight-forward science fiction story, though it did take me a long, long time to get totally behind. This series has long b...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Serena Yates rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mainstream, f-m

What I liked about this book was the characters. Cornelia and Aral are a totally unlikely pair. I spent most of the first half of the book wondering if they realized they were a pair. The descriptions of the alien life forms are interesting, as are the political machinations - even though a lot of them went past me (my fault, not the author's). From what I have seen of Bujold's later work, style and ability to tell a story have changed remarkably over time. It was good to see the very beginning...more

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Jun 18, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

What I really enjoyed about this book were the characters. They were not your usual hero/heroine. Cordelia was very down to earth and usually unflappable and Vorkosigan was not your typical 'handsome' leading man. She was attracted to him for his personality and his values, which I thought was very refreshing. I really look forward to reading their further adventures.

I also want to mention the frequent dry humor, it was quite subtle and sometimes surprising and fitted well with the mood of the s...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Minh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

It's been a long time since I've read a Sci-Fi novel and it took me a while to get back into the mindset of things. There's an almost sugar honey coating over normal fantasy and historical romance novels and it was jarring to come back to a world of moral dilemmas and where people died on a regular basis (and not from old age!).

Cordelia Naismith while exploring a planet is left unconscious when her base is attacked. She finds herself stuck with Aral Vorkosigan of Barraya, a planet which her peo...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Jordi Vicens rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20thcentury, science-fiction, english

The Vorkosigan Saga

It's been a long overdue read of mine this series. I've been wanting to read it for a long, long time.

I was quite prejudiced when it came to start reading it because I thought I wouldn't like it at all.

Actually, it reads quite well, in a Golden Age of Scifi spaceopera way. It has all the elements I got to love in a spaceopera when I was a teen: Long saga, intelligent characters, a cohesive universe... Oh! I would have loved it very much back then.

Nowadays? I haven't loved it t...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Cecelia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I read science fiction, I feel as though I am a step behind. Although I’ve always (or for as long as I can remember) read fantasy, I don’t have that legacy with science fiction. I don’t know when a plot twist or technology has been done to death, because I haven’t read that widely in the genre. So how do I know which books to pick up? I trust my fellow readers. Elitist Book Reviews usually steers me well, and of course there are others, including Alyce of At Home With Books and The Book Smu...more When I read science fiction, I feel as though I am a step behind. Although I’ve always (or for as long as I can remember) read fantasy, I don’t have that legacy with science fiction. I don’t know when a plot twist or technology has been done to death, because I haven’t read that widely in the genre. So how do I know which books to pick up? I trust my fellow readers. Elitist Book Reviews usually steers me well, and of course there are others, including Alyce of At Home With Books and The Book Smugglers. Very recently (last week!) Anastasia at Birdbrained Book Blog pointed me in the direction of Lois McMaster Bujold’s Shards of Honor (published in 1986), the first in the Vorkosigan saga, and I downloaded it on the spot.

Commander Naismith is on a biological survey of an uninhabited planet when her expedition is attacked by the dreaded Barrayarans. This warrior empire is famous for its atrocities, and it appears that there’s little Cordelia will be able to do to help her Betan crew, or herself, when she is taken prisoner by one of Barrayar’s most lethal fighters, Lord Vorkosigan. What follows is a story of wartime adventure, heroics, honor and politics, with a thread of romance running throughout.

Cordelia is the heroine of this story, without a doubt. Her fierce determination to do her duty is the thing that propels her through the story and into the reader’s good graces. She is intelligent and clear-headed, and she’s been placed in an impossible situation where she must make something out of an array of bad choices. Instead of putting anyone else in danger, she puts herself in that position – not without flinching – with due consideration and courage. It’s this streak of honor that makes her such a good leader, and it’s also what draws Lord Vorkosigan (who is not as terrible as his reputation suggests) to her.

Of course, there is more to Lord Vorkosigan meets the eye – he’s a very complicated man, and he has a lot of enemies. After the initial ‘survival’ bit at the start of the book, Vorkosigan and Naismith spend a lot of time avoiding politics, playing with politics, and (of course) avoiding death. This is all going on while each is independently struggling with command, responsibilities, loyalties and a growing romantic relationship. It’s impressive that the plot coexists with great characterization and the trappings of sci-fi – that it works is a testament to Bujold’s skill. I’m excited to read the next in the series.

Oh, and this quote made my sappy little heart happy. I wrote it down on a scrap of paper to remember later:

“You’re asking me to judge you?”
“Someone must.”
“I’m sorry. I can love you. I can grieve for you, or with you. I can share your pain. But I cannot judge you.”

Recommended for: fans of sci-fi romance, those who enjoyed Garth Nix’s A Confusion of Princes or Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, and anyone ready for a space adventure featuring two stubborn, honorable characters caught in a no-win situation.(less)

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About Lois McMaster Bujold

One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold burst on to the scene in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of her tremendously popular Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including two Nebula Awards for Best Novel (Falling Free and Paladin of Souls), four Hugo Awards for Best Novel (Paladin of Souls, The Vor Game, B...more

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Quotes from Shards of Honour

“I've always thought tests are a gift. And great tests are a great gift. To fail the test is a misfortune. But to refuse the test is to refuse the gift, and something worse, more irrevocable, than misfortune.” — 85 people liked it

“The real unforgivable acts are committed by calm men in beautiful green silk rooms, who deal death wholesale, by the shipload, without lust, without anger, or desire, or any redeeming emotion to excuse them but cold fear of some pretended future.

But the crimes they hope to prevent in that future are imaginary. The ones they commit in the present - they are real.” — 32 people liked it

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